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UK Gives Go-Ahead to Gary McKinnon Extradition
robzster1977 writes "Judges in the UK have given the go-ahead to the extradition of UK hacker Gary McKinnon. McKinnon is accused of breaking into US Navy, Army and Department of Defense computers in 2001 and 2002." From the article: "On 4 July the secretary of state signed an order for Mr McKinnon's extradition to the United States for charges connected with computer hacking. Mr McKinnon had exercised his right to submit representations against return but the secretary of state did not consider the issues raised availed Mr McKinnon."
Gotta wonder if he picked July 4th on purpose. :)
When the Americans arrested child rapists,
I said nothing; after all, I was not a child rapist.
When they locked up the serial killers,
I said nothing; after all, I was not a serial killer.
When they arrested the armed robbers,
I said nothing; after all, I was not an armed robber.
When they arrested the spammers,
I celebrated, because I'm a hypocrite about computer crimes.
When they arrested me for breaking into a computer network, there was no longer anyone who could protest.
- Stickerboy
Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Since the first time I heard the expression "Truth, Justice and the American Way" I asked myself, why are those listed separately? In my naive days, I used to think that truth and justice were part of the American way. Clearly, this isn't the case any longer... was it ever? Looking back on the way the nation's founders started a nation with slavery, the nation expanded by committing mass murder, making treaties, breaking them when it was convenient.
I used to feel like the Americans (myself included) always wore the "white hat." Looking back, I'm just not qite so certain of that.
So yes, it now makes more sense to me that those three items are listed separately... The American Way does not include truth or justice.
As a Brit, I have to ask, really, does anyone in the US actually care about the special relationship? Because all it seems to be, as you quite rightly state, is the UK metaphorically 'bending over'.
Spare me the "hacking i OK if I ain't trying to break shit" bullshit.
This is about someone being condemned unfairly to set a public example. Sort of what the RIAA does with "OMG the evil pirate filesharers!".
Because if you STILL believe there's justice in the USA, you might as well believe in spaceships from another planet. The USA should be treated like a dictatorship where human rights CONTINUE to be abused systematically.
Want an example? The NSA spying on the citizens. Curiously, it could be ALSO interpreted as "hacking" AT&T users. Are the guys who ordered wiretapping in jail? No, they aren't.
Justice, yeah right.
In all honesty, I fucking don't.
I mean, I don't have anything against Britain. I like Guiness and Monty Python; I don't care to hear how we're corrupting the English language or that our culture is boorish, but other than that, I care as much about GB as I do Sweden.
I think the "special relationship" is more of a strategic and diplomatic alliance of our governments, than any brotherly feeling between the citizens. For some reason, the US and the UK 'trust' each other a little more than a normal international alliance would allow.
Now that I have your ear, do you have any hope that Bush and Co. could be brought to justice by the EU, the Hague, or any other international organization? If the democrats don't win at least one house of congress this fall, I fear we are in for a long dark road.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso